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obliquely to the right and rear, to prevent the enemy from turning our position, it having been ascertained that the right wing was a very considerable distance to our rear.
My division was the right of the left wing commanded by
Lieutenant-General Longstreet, and
McNair's brigade was on the left of
Brown's. Subsequently
Wood's brigade, of
Cleburne's division, was formed on the right, and in prolongation of
Brown's, and about nine A. M.,
Deshler's was formed on the right of
Bate's.
In the meantime, a heavy fire was opened upon us from the enemy's batteries in our immediate front, and but a few hundred yards distant, by which some losses were occasioned.
At length, about eleven A. M.,
Major Lee, of
General Bragg's staff, came to me with an order to advance at once and attack the enemy.
I informed him what orders had previously been received, and that no attack had been made on my right.
He replied that
General Bragg had directed him to pass along the lines and give the order to every division commander to move upon the enemy immediately.
Accordingly, I arranged with
General Wood that he should advance with
Brown, which was done without delay.
Clayton was moved up immediately to
Brown's position, and
Bate's right thrown forward to bring him on line with
Clayton, when they also advanced to be within supporting distance of
Brown and
Wood.
For several hundred yards both lines pressed on under the most terrible fire it has ever been my fortune to witness.
The enemy retired, and our men, though mowed down at every step, rushed on at double-quick, until at length the brigade on the right of
Brown broke in confusion, exposing him to an enfilade fire.
He continued on, however, some fifty to seventy-five yards further, when his two right regiments gave way in disorder, and retired to their original position.
His centre and left, however, followed by the gallant
Clayton and indomitable
Bate, pressed on, passing the corn-field in front of the burnt house, and to a distance of two to three hundred yards beyond the
Chattanooga road, driving the enemy within his line of intrenchments, and passing a battery of four guns, which were afterwards taken possession of by a regiment from another division.
Here, new batteries being opened by the enemy on our front and flank, heavily supported by infantry, it became necessary to retire, the command re-forming on the ground occupied before the advance.
During this charge, which was truly heroic, our loss was severe.
Several valuable officers were killed and wounded.
Generals Brown and
Clayton were each struck by spent grape, temporarily disabling the former, and
General Bate and several of his staff had their horses killed, the second lost by
General Bate that morning.
After remaining long enough to re-form the lines, to replenish ammunition and rest the men, the command again advanced to the corn-field mentioned above, then moved by the right flank until it formed across a ridge which extended obliquely to the front and right.
The enemy were still in position behind a breastwork of logs, a few hundred yards in front of us, and,
General Buckner coming up, I understood it to be his wish that I should not then attempt to go forward, but to await orders.
In the meantime a severe struggle was going on to the right and left of the field, in one corner of which, near the
Chattanooga road, stood Kelly's house.
About five P. M. an order reached me, by an officer of
General Longstreet's staff, to move forward upon the enemy.
Brown's brigade, now commanded by
Colonel Cook, of the Thirty-second Tennessee, was directed to support the artillery placed in position on a hill in the cornfield to our left, and
Clayton's and
Bate's brigades, in the order named, advanced with a cheer and at a double-quick upon the enemy's defences.
The enemy gave way, utterly routed; our men dashed over their breastworks, pursuing to the edge of the open ground or field around the “Kelly house,” where we halted, capturing three or four hundred prisoners, among whom was
Major Beattie, of the regular army.
A prisoner, brought up before the charge was made, stated that the position was held by the division of the
Federal General Reynolds.
The
Eufala battery was brought up and fired the last shots at the retreating foe, who, being taken in flank by our attack, fled from their position in front of the division on our right.
During the night and next morning several thousand stands of small arms, accoutrements, &c., and a large quantity of ammunition, were collected by my division, a large portion of which was removed by our ordnance wagons.
Our total loss in the three brigades during Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday, was as follows, viz.:
| Rigades. | officers. | men. | killed. | wounded. | missing. | total. | per.
Cent. |
| Brown's | 120 | 1,320 | 50 | 426 | 4 | 480 | 33.3 |
| Bate's, | 132 | 1,085 | 66 | 516 | 11 | 593 | 48.7 |
| Clayton's, | 94 | 1,352 | 86 | 535 | 13 | 634 | 42.4 |
| Dawson's Battery | 3 | 62 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 7 | |
| Eufala Battery, | 3 | 103 | 1 | 13 | | 14 | |
| Humphreys' Battery, | 3 | 86 | 1 | 2 | | 3 | |
| Escort Company, | 3 | 32 | | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| | 358 | 4,040 | 205 | 1,499 | 37 | 1,733 | |
